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06.01.2009, 16:03 hrsAge: 8 Year(s)

Outlook 2009

What will happen in 2009?

A great year ends and a new one knocks at our door.

What's at stake for us in 2009? Is an increase in visitors possible once again? In 2008, we broke all records. For the first time, our goal is not to break new records but to maintain the numbers of 2008. Our exhibition is always filled to capacity and sometimes we have considerable waiting lines. More can only be achieved with more room (layout fascia length) and that's currently not in sight, since we cannot yet give an exact date for the opening of the airport section.

We still hope to open the airport by the end of 2009. BUT: Like during the building phase of Switzerland we noticed that the result is even better if one desn't put pressure on oneself with a fixed deadline. If you are honest to yourself, there's no reason for that, either. We don't depend on deadlines but on the beauty of the result. So we take it as it comes..

Far more important is the awareness that we are "on the right track" with the airport. There have been some people last year which asked us if an aiport of these dimensions would really be interesting for the broad mass or if it wouldn't nicer to keep on building beautiful scenery. Now the first testflight is behind us and we can't wait to wrap up the technical parts in a nice cover. However, the technical team will nonetheless be busy to solve very difficult problems in 2009.

This leads to another section which also will be extended in 2009. In 2008, we not only welcomed 1,000,000 visitors. No, it were really 5,000,000. In addition to the real visitors, another astonishing 4,000,000 visited us in the virtual world. We would like to bring the Wunderland even closer to these people who cannot visit us personally due to financial or health reasons, For starters, we will keep you posted about the airport construction with the new blog-like category of "Gerrit's Video Diary". We planned 12 parts at 4 minutes each. Internet bandwidths are still expanding so that the possibilities are virtuually endless. However, we have to judge the financial aspects and what is feasable with such a number of users. also in 2009, we will surprise you virtually. Promised!!!

The year 2008 also saw a lot of work on the older sections. Burdens of the past have been eliminated and many new, partly very elaborate developments in the old sections have been accomplished. These already exisiting areas are always kept up-to-date and are always worth a second or third glance. Unfortunately we did not master all the tasks we wanted to finish in 2008. Doesn't really bother us: this way, there will be a lot to do for 2009 in these sections. For the next months, the emphasis is on the technical realisation of a fully functional hump yard, two engine facilities with working turntable, and switching tasks in our classification yard. Maybe, we even can schedule our TransRapid (maglev) for regular services in 2009. With the techniques currently used, this train has to go to shops after a few hours of service. We work on it.

What else will happen? Many of the activities in the next 12 months are not planned yet. We live by our spontaneity and creativity. There is barely a day, one of our team doesn't have genious idea. Of course, we don't know thiose ideas yet and so we take the opportunity to say (also to ourselves):

Let the year 2009 surprise us! Merry christmas and a good start for 2009!!

Comments (guest)

Absolutly fantastic, I live in Canada since 1965 and remember a model railroad layout in Augsburg with fondness. But your layout and idea's just blow me away! SEHR GUT GETAN!
I'm looking forward to the internet access you provide for us poor people in the sticks.
You made my Christmas!

i'm waiting for your 4 hour video to come. from what i've seen so far, is that you" GUY" in Germany realy ROOCCK!!!!!! what in the world have you done over there? that is by far the "greatest ever in the world layout". just like M. Jackson, rest his soul! this is a superstar layout! can't wait to see the airport when it's finished this year. i work at DTW in the States(usa). i would to come over an see this GEM of a Large, but small dream. my wife is also germany in here in the states(north dakokta).

Michael Michael aus ive seen the layout in Berlin and was there for 3 hours and i didnt want to leave as i was memsroized. next year 2012 were in Hamburg especially to see this layout in the video. its amazing how much money some people spend on model trains. and a total in

ive seen the layout in Berlin and was there for 3 hours and i didnt want to leave as i was memsroized. next year 2012 were in Hamburg especially to see this layout in the video. its amazing how much money some people spend on model trains. and a total inspiration